Tsunade also felt very helpless. The war with Iwagakure had already shifted from large-scale slaughter to a war of attrition.
Orochimaru was surprised that the Third Kazekage had sent Chiyo to the battlefield so quickly. This implied that Sunagakure truly didn't have many capable people left; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say their talent pool was dwindling.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Sasori's parents to the battlefield; they truly had no one capable of taking on important tasks.
It was also strange; even in this state, they still wanted to attack Konoha.
Could it be to prove Sunagakure's worth to the Daimyo of the Wind Country?
At the same time, in the Laboratory, Orochimaru's Shadow Clone looked at the intelligence transmitted from the company.
"An elderly monk..."
Orochimaru looked at the intelligence and thought of Bunbuku, who was imprisoned in the jail.
Sunagakure actually sent a Jinchuriki to the battlefield!
Could it be that they intended to have Bunbuku unleash Shukaku on the battlefield?
"Mio, the experiment is on hold for now. My main body is in trouble."
The scroll in Orochimaru's hand turned to ash, and she walked to Hyuga Mio's side.
"I'll take you home first."
"Mm."
Hyuga Mio nodded, a hint of worry in her eyes as she looked at Orochimaru.
"Don't worry."
Orochimaru smiled slightly, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to take Hyuga Mio back to her home in Konoha, then vanished in a puff of smoke. Such important intelligence had to be known by her main body.
On the other side, Orochimaru, who was rushing from the Iwagakure battlefield to the southwest of the Land of Fire, received the memories and fatigue of her Shadow Clone, and her steps faltered.
"Orochimaru, what's wrong?"
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, who had suddenly stopped, noticing her furrowed brows.
"The One-Tail Jinchuriki. There's a One-Tail Jinchuriki in the Suna forces. They plan to use the Tailed Beast to gain an advantage in the war between Sunagakure and Konoha."
Orochimaru quickly relayed the latest intelligence she had received.
"The Ichibi? The Ichibi of the Nine Tailed Beasts?!"
A trace of shock flashed in Tsunade's eyes. Because her grandmother was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she had long understood what a terrifying existence Tailed Beasts were. She never expected Sunagakure to send the One-Tail Jinchuriki to the battlefield.
"Hmm."
Orochimaru nodded slightly and said, "Tsunade, we need to deliver this intelligence to the Village as soon as possible."
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Orochimaru formed hand seals, and the Yin Seal on his wrist released Chakra, creating a Shadow Clone beside him.
"I'll leave delivering the intelligence to you."
"Leave it to me."
Orochimaru's Shadow Clone used the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished from its spot, heading towards Konoha with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
On Kumogakure's side, after Third Raikage A learned of Hidden Mist and Sunagakure's actions, he chose not to join Hidden Mist and Sunagakure in attacking Konoha, but instead started to have some ideas about Iwagakure.
A thought about Iwagakure's multi-front war with Konoha; if he attacked Iwagakure now, he might achieve good results, and even if he couldn't severely damage Iwagakure, he could still turn around and attack Konoha.
Thinking this, A decisively led the Kumogakure forces to attack Iwagakure.
Iwagakure, fighting a multi-front war with Konoha, was pleased to see Hidden Mist and Sunagakure join the battlefield. The addition of the two great Ninja Villages would undoubtedly reduce Iwagakure's pressure significantly.
However, what Ōnoki didn't expect was Kumogakure's actions. The Kumogakure forces led by Third Raikage A swiftly traversed the Land of Frost, Land of Hot Springs, and Land of Rice Fields like a forced march, heading straight for Iwagakure!
Ōnoki had no choice but to prepare to go to the battlefield once again.
Konoha, Hokage Building.
"Orochimaru, why are you back?"
Inside the command center, four people were utterly shocked to see Orochimaru rush in.
"I am a Shadow Clone here to deliver intelligence. My main body and Tsunade are currently rendezvousing with the Konoha forces sent to intercept Sunagakure."
Time was pressing, so Orochimaru got straight to the point: "The monk in the Sunagakure forces is the One-Tail Jinchuriki."
Swish—!
After speaking, without waiting for their questions, Orochimaru used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.
The Laboratory experiment still needed to continue, and she had no intention of dispelling this Shadow Clone.
One-Tail Jinchuriki… Danzo Shimura's brows furrowed, his face dark. He never would have imagined that the elderly monk mentioned in the intelligence was actually the One-Tail Jinchuriki. Most importantly, the intelligence Ninja of Root had failed to uncover such crucial information.
Was Sunagakure protecting the One-Tail Jinchuriki too well?
Danzo Shimura did not blame the intelligence Ninja for their incompetence, believing that Sunagakure was simply too good at concealment.
"Sunagakure is going too far, actually sending a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki to the battlefield as a weapon!"
Utatane Koharu angrily clenched her fists.
"The children of the Sealing Team cannot go to the battlefield yet. If the One-Tail Jinchuriki uses the Tailed Beast's power on the battlefield…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't sit still. His disciples were currently on their way to engage Sunagakure!
Homura Mitokado pushed up his glasses and calmly said, "Then, wouldn't it be better to kill him before he uses the Tailed Beast's power?"
On the other side, the Sunagakure forces were passing through the Land of Rivers to the Land of Fire.
Bunbuku, in his monk's robes, seemed out of place among the Sunagakure forces.
"Hahahaha! No matter how unwilling you are, you still have to go to the battlefield, Monk!"
In Bunbuku's mental world, Shukaku could feel Bunbuku's rock-bottom emotions and let out a sharp laugh.
"I'm sorry, Shukaku."
Bunbuku was silent for a long time, his voice filled with apology. Unwilling to go to the battlefield, he was ultimately coerced by the idea of "as a member of Sunagakure, one must do their part for Sunagakure," and had no choice but to go to the battlefield and use Shukaku's power to create slaughter.
"What's the use of saying all this now? Aren't we still going to the battlefield as tools of war? Humans, everyone except you treats us Tailed Beasts as tools of war, that's the truth!"
Shukaku admitted that Bunbuku was different from others, but they still appeared on the battlefield as tools of war.
"I believe someone will stop us…"
Bunbuku thought of the person who once came to the prison to research how to separate a Tailed Beast from its Jinchuriki, and how the Jinchuriki could survive.
As a member of Sunagakure, he had to do his part for Sunagakure, and for that, he could only hope that someone would be able to stop himself and Shukaku.
"Huh? Are you underestimating my strength, Monk! I'm finally getting let out to play, and I won't be sealed away so easily! I'm going to cause a huge ruckus, I'm going to destroy everything around me! Hahahahaha!"
Shukaku looked at the silent Bunbuku, its sharp laughter abruptly stopped, and it said unhappily, "You monk, you're so boring!"
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